September 2018

We’ve grown into a society that embraces the community, acceptance and sense of inclusion throughout our states and territories. Pat yourself on the back Australia, great job (credit where credit is due); but you haven’t earned your 21st birthday cakes for girls Auckland yet.

See, while we’ve been out and about preaching that we’ve all got to love each other, be humble and enjoy our five fruit and two veges every day we’ve forgotten that a bit of friendly Vanity or Pride (two states of mind not exactly embraced in our changing cultural landscape) are very valuable in the scheme of things.

Not that kind of pride dammit

It’s understandable why one may think that Vanity and Pride should be disregarded; we shouldn’t NEED that two thousand dollar gold watch to feel good about ourselves, the most expensive double shot latte to make it through the day, the week’s rent cocktail dress to impress our love interests. We shouldn’t, mustn’t, can’t, we- NOPE – we do. That’s just who we are and no amount of cultural growth, positive reinforcement or fruit and vegetable consumption will change our primal instincts. We’re always going to want that Ferrari. We enjoy what makes us stand out from someone else in the crowd and we should be entitled to.

Now I understand that most of the examples I’ve just given relate to our materialism and appearance; the whole topic of Vanity and Pride is massive so that’s the tangent I’ll stay on. An example of warranted Vanity within this tangent can be found in a female’s pregnancy. Maternity wear is an expensive type of clothing. It’d be much easier to just wear your hubby’s old chambray or just cut some arm holes in a curtain to wear as some sort of a smock – BUT – A well-tailored Australian maternity dress would put a pregnant woman at more ease than something like this:

…Enough Said

Expensive; mostly (although there are plenty of cheap maternity clothes in Australia which still look great); but with these well-made clothes comes that feeling of worth and grandeur. This is the time of your life; the time you should be emanating your lovely glow, radiance and beauty. Revel in your Vanity and purchase that maternity dress; you deserve it.

There are times in our life when we need that placebo effect to help us cross the line; something material which gives us the strength to continue; a mother’s custom made clothing for pregnancy, an athlete’s running shoes, a businessman’s suit. If something will help you achieve a positive goal or milestone in your life, go for it. Use your Vanity and pride for good, just as Australia’s changing nature would have it. Hopefully society will realise the value of these mindsets. Make that inclusive and accepting step to realise why people NEED these things in their life; then and only then, Australia can earn its nice cake, and be proud of it too.